Trolls I see a rainbow in your tears
by WolfWhite2018
Summary: She was happy and positive. He, sad and bitter. Poppy has just returned after leaving for four years to study at the university, but to the horror of Branch, she will decide to move back to work in Bergen Town. When strange things begin to happen to the inhabitants of that place, that will be the sufficient reason why Branch decides to go a look for Poppy before it is too late.
1. Chapter 1

He ran through the thicket of the forest despite the rain falling heavily and clouded the little good view he had, he held tightly the knife he had unsheathed from the leather belt he steeled from those territories. The fear that oppressed his chest was paralyzing, but he got rid of the wish of falling to the ground on his knees and start trembling or even crying. He had promised himself that he would find the woman he loved: ALIVE

The pain in his leg was beginning to become unbearable, forcing him to slow down at times and curse his own body. Every second that passed on the clock was against not his life, but hers, he could not lose her ... he could not lose the only person he loved and who had accepted him just the way he was.

The tiredness forced him to fall on his knees and began to breathe with difficulty, the thoughts of "what happen to her" was more paralyzing than what was surely happening, he began to whisper her name with deep sadness, as if she could appear at His side, alive, only by listening to his call. A tear fell down his cheek that he immediately wiped and strongly held the handle of the knife.

He knew that tonight he would have to kill to live, to bring home that girl that so many people appreciated, a thunder was heard near him and he looked up to the front, then he saw ... he saw the monster by some instants due to the lightning, then everything was dark again, but he could still see its silhouette. He could see the traitor's silhouette.

He got up quickly and hunched his whole body on alert.

-What was it that you did to her, you son of a bitch?

The traitor's laughter sounded arrogant.

-The selfish boy of the neighborhood wants to become a hero, sure, that will serve for your curriculum.

-Where is she? Where's Poppy?-He yelled furiously.

The monster simply shrugged.

-She finally has the peace she needed so long ago.

Tears began to fill his eyes, near both a tree received all the discharge of lightning, and its branches began to light in brutal flames, it would not take long before the fire consumed the entire forest.

* * *

\- Are you sure you want to do this, honey?

She turned her head to see him, he was holding the steering wheel quietly and looking intently at the house.

-You know he does not have the best manners with you.

She smiled, opened the door and got out of the car holding a gift bag in her hands.

\- He was the only one who did not attend my farewell party yesterday, it will not be long, you can come with me if you want.

-No, dont worry, I think I will be better if I wait here.

Poppy smiled and pushed the door hard to close it, circled the car ahead and crossed the street to get to that small gray house with the withered front yard and that she once remembered was full of pots with medicinal plants and many flowers.

She raise her hand and knock on the door several times with her knuckles.

-Branch, are you there?

There was no response, she turned her head to see Creek watching her quietly from inside the car, she shrugged and hit the door harder.

-If your a seller, I dont want any lottery tickets-a voice was heard from inside the house.

-I do not come to that- Poppy replied

-Then I told you that I don't hack computers.

-Branch, I'm Poppy.

For a moment there was no response, then they began to hear the noises that the plates and chains being removed by the owner of the house. Poppy grew impatient with the amount of all the security the old wooden door had.

Finally the entrance opened a little, revealing a tall dark-haired boy with a weary gesture, still wearing a green robe to sleep, even though it was already ten o'clock in the morning.

\- I woke you up or did you just take a shower?

Branch shrugged.

-I was preparing a cup of coffee, what do you want Poppy?

-I brought you something- she answered raising the bag, Branch groaned and opened the door a little more to let her pass.

She entered with some distrust and closed the door behind her, Branch walked halfway down the hall, Poppy remained there, she saw nothing strange; however, from the lobby she perceived something that seemed strange to her. Searching for the right words to be able to express herself, she scanned the neat tables of the room, the walls freshly painted, the planks of the neat floor, despite having immaculate furniture the house seemed to be empty.

What really gave her that feeling was the absence of pictures on the walls and decorations on the tables; nobody had left the newspaper badly folded on the armchair, nor a book outside its bookseller or something out of its place, because there was nothing more than some furniture scrupulously clean. It was a house with no signs of life.

But she knew that the house had not always been like that.

He saw Branch returning from the kitchen with a wooden tray with two cups and a teapot. Poppy look at him, he was a Sturddy man, although his arms, legs and chest showed the good physical condition that he had; due to the exercise he tried to do every day (not because he wanted to,because the doctors forced him). Even though he was only around 24 or 25 years old, some wrinkles were marked on the sides of his eyes, making him look even older than he really was.

The dark circles showed that he was always tired, not physically, if not psychologically; of brown skin and beautiful blue eyes rare to see in a person of dark complexion but who seemed dull, his black hair as the night always had it combed up, although at that time it was probably messy because of the pillow.

Poppy always had the impression that the young man was off, that his true colors had disappeared and turned into a gray ash.

\- Are you going to come and have a cup?

Poppy shook her head, stepping out of her thoughts and slowly approaching the little table set in the middle of the chairs and sitting in the opposite chair that Branch was sitting on; it was not that she was afraid of him, but she knew full well that he hated all physical closeness.

She taked a cup of a material that looked like mud; she try to bring it to her lips, but he snatches it away, being careful not to spill the hot liquid on her.

-Hey, and why was it?

\- This is coffee, Poppy.

\- What does it have?

-It has enough caffeine, and something tells me that it is not recommended that you drink it or you will be even more unbearable than you already are- he place the stolen cup back on the tray and take the other delivering it-but you can drink this.

-What is it?

-Iced tea.

-Really?- She replied with a funny grin on her lips.

-If you want to drink the crap I do in the bathroom, they are all yours.

Poppy did not know whether to laugh or be disgusted, she just rolled her eyes while absorbing the liquid from her cup. Without wanting to fix his eyes on Branch's legs, although his robe was long and he wore slippers, he could clearly distinguish the metal immobilizer that covered his entire right leg.

Quickly she turned her gaze away so as not to make him feel uncomfortable and looked for the small gift bag.

-You didn´t go to the party yesterday.

-I don't go to parties.

\- Not even the farewell ones?

-Farewell?

-The party was because today I'm going to the dormitory of the university.

Branch took a big sip of his coffee.

-Didn't you read the invitation I sent you?

-I never read them- replied the young man rudely.-It's not like you're my neighbor and I'm able to hear the glass echoing through the music.

For a moment nobody spoke.

-What career are you going to study?

-Art and Theater, Creek got me a good room and...

-Creek? -her companion interrupted her- what does He have to do with your studies?

\- He will study gastronomy at the same university, he give several courses at the same time and have acquaintances with who he speak so that I would have a single room.

Branch clenched his fists around his clay cup.

-When will you understand that that bastard is not what you think?

-Why do you hate Creek so much, Branch? He has always been kind to you and to others.

-Under that skin of innocent child, a snake hides!

Creek and Poppy had already been dating for a month, in which Branch behaved even heavier than he already was.

-At least that snake if he has an interest in continuing to study even if he already had more than half of a previous career!

\- What do you want to show with that?

-What, unlike him, do you never want to leave your armor? When are you going to study something?

-I do not need it, I am mature enough to get a decent job and not spend it doing stupid parties every night.

Poppy frowned annoyed, in the distance you could hear the car's horn calling her.

She leave the cup of tea on the tray and walk quickly towards the door.

-I don't know why I always think it's a good idea to try to keep you company.

She closed the door tightly and got into the car.

* * *

 _-Come with me._

 _She pulled his playful arm trying to drag him toward the dance floor, but he managed to remain still and smiled faintly at her._

 _-Poppy, please understand; this is the only way I must pay for the mistake I made._

 _She looked at him sadly._

 _-I understand you ... no; I want to understand you Branch, I really want to do it, but if you don´t let me ... How do you want me to help you?_

 _He turned around and walked away from Poppy._

 _\- At least you will tell me what happened?_

 _Branch didn't turn to see her when he answered:_

 _-It's better to leave it like that._

Branch opened his eyes with the usual heaviness, although he had slept a long time; he still felt like two heavy sacks, dreaming about it always put him in a bad mood. He look at the clock; It was ten thirty in the morning. He raised his arms and covered his face with his hands.

The thought of the day:

 _ **You're nothing but a piece of shit.**_

He withdrew his hands from his face and remembered that on that day he should get up with his right foot, take the sheet aside and stretch his right leg towards the side of the bed. He look for the slipper with his touch but his foot stumbled over something, slipped and ended up reloading on the floor.

Branch growled, bewildered, according to what his doctors recommended in this case; He went back to bed on the soft mattress, covered his body with the sheet, yawning trying to deceive the day ... and fell asleep another hour and a half (the indication was to go back to bed nothing else, not stay loose in bed forever) .

When he woke up again he realized that it was already past midday, he got up again and this time he supported the right foot and got up from the bed. He began to do his daily flexion and extension exercises, although he had already lost the illusion of walking and running again as before a long time ago

His right leg began get tires from the stretching exercises and to carry the weight of its owner, Branch leaned with one of his hand on the wall to go for his immobilizer that awaited him accusingly on the old mahogany desk.

He sat down tired on a swivel chair and proceeded to carefully place his immobilizer, adjusted it tightly so that it really held him and this prevent him from loosening while doing his activities and falling on his own weight. The immobilizer covered his entire leg from the waist to the heel of his foot.

He got up again and reluctantly performed his stretching exercises, then took a towel and walked to the bathroom to take a shower. He opened the key and went under the stream of water without tempering it. It was cold, but he stood motionless under the shower and leaning against the wall with his arms.

 _ **You're nothing but a piece of paralytic shit.**_

It was said in a whisper while the icy water covered his back.

When he finally dared to get in, he did it carefully so as not to slip on the wet floor, walked slowly to his bedroom and dressed in brown pants, a gray shirt and a thin green jacket. He combed his tangled hair up and gave himself one last recriminating look in front of the mirror.

He left his house and walked through the withered and lifeless garden to the red and mistreated mailbox, quietly took out the mail and closed the door of the mailbox, his hand remained there when his sight stopped at the house next door, painted in a cream pale color.

It had been four years since the owner of that house had left and her absence had almost immediately become evident; no longer listening to music late at night, in the street you could not hear the constant laughter caused by a thousand and one games; the block no longer smelled of pastries and there was no glitter everywhere.

But above all; There was no longer that smile that made Branch still have enough energy to continue existing.

The sun beat hard that summer day; although it bothered him enough in the eyes, he observed it insistently.

 _ **Your smile…**_

Branch looked down and walked back to his house while he thought.

 _ **The sun itself becomes jealous ... and refuses to go out behind the clouds...**_

He opened the wooden door and entered the house with the mail under his arm.

 _ **Knowing that it will never have that brightness**_

He sat down at the table in the small dining room and said almost in a whisper:

\- That's right, you have it ...

He support his head on his hand, he would write it later.

He began to separate the correspondence on the table, there was nothing out of the ordinary, bills and receipts about the services that the house needed, he take the morning newspaper with the intention of reading it and when he opened it, he heard something thin fell to the ground.

He tilt his body to check under the table, it was a yellow envelope, with a familiar smell of Poppy, he immediately recognized the perfume and hurried to pick it up, put it on the table and with a contained emotion for years opened carefully the yellow paper and take out the content with care.

It was a yellow leaf folded in half, opened and immediately received a small dose of glitter in the face and that went flying everywhere.

-Oh, Poppy-he speak with a short voice but full of affection.

" _ **Happy birthday number twenty-seven Branch"**_

It was the sign that was with quite large and colorful letters inside the three-dimensional letter along with a small green troll with black hair holding a heart in his hands.

Sincerely, Branch no longer knew if Poppy's fascination with those little beings of the eighties was something to laugh or worry about. She had her own troll design for every person she knew, and she drew them in her notebook or she just stuck them wherever they were and there was space.

He could still see her, he was looking out the window of his house and watched with joy as King Peppy came out of the house across the street carrying a little girl in his arms and she played with joy the bell of her house holding a little troll without clothes, with a diamond in the navel and pink hair combed up.

Branch caressed the letter gently, as if part of him wanted to be convinced that the letter was really in front of his eyes.

Poppy never forgot a birthday, knew and memorized dates like no other person did, knew when it was the birthday of one of her friends, her father, neighbors and even the milkman who brought milk bottles every morning.

Although he had no damn idea about what Poppy was doing to get that personal information.

And always, she always gave them one of her dimensional cards without any fault, Branch laughed all the creativity that the girl had since childhood, since their cards always managed to have something original that made them different from the previous card.

Branch smiled at the card, that was the fourth he received for his birthday, since Poppy had gone to college, before he used to receive cards much more often, but without the party organizer each week, the correspondence had diminished considerably.

The previous three had arrived just the day of his birthday, it was already late for about a week, probably because of the correspondence.

Finding himself as a victim of a feeling he no longer knew, he discovered himself checking the rest of the correspondence, he had the small hope that she would have sent him two letters this time, although that never happened.

However, he found another yellow envelope with the same perfume.

He opened it quickly but to his disappointment it was not another three-dimensional letter. It was a rare ordinary letter to receive considering the person sending it, but he recognized the girl's bent letter by writing his name.

 _ **Dear Branch**_

 _ **The years seem to happen too slow, in others you look back and it seems that it was too early, at least it is what I feel at the moment now that I have just graduated, and I am already packing my things, if ... just as you read, I'm coming home this week.**_

 _ **I really want to see you again and know how you and the rest of the guys have changed!**_

He read the letter with emotion, Poppy would finally returned home after so long, from where he was able to notice that Guy Diamond and Dj Suki hung a huge sign on the facade of her house.

Welcome to Poppy house.

He got up from the chair and went to a wooden trunk that was stored in the room, opened it and looked inside ... all the cards that Poppy had given him over the years were stored in that small space of wood, put the new birthday card so that it was safe.

He was about to put the other letter when he stopped it, read it again and check the date Poppy had planned to return. It was today, surely the gang was already organizing a welcome party.

He thought about the options he had; He had really missed her during those long four years, it was true, he never attended any of her parties but that did not diminish the fact that she finally returned.

Besides, if Poppy had bothered to send him that letter, it meant that she still considered him good enough to even tell him about his return, she saw the sign in Poppy's house again through the window; maybe it would be a good idea to go and greet her that night.


	2. Chapter 2

_I look like a girl_ , he thought angrily, _since when do I have to put myself in front of the mirror to decide what clothes I have left?_

He was in his room, his clothes all rioted and covered only with a towel around his waist, trying to decide what clothes Poppy would like the most, cursed under his breath when he realized that almost all his clothes were the same: dark.

In the end he ended up deciding as usual, a brown pants and a green jacket, I take care that his hair was not tangled and he looked in the mirror, trying to imagine the image that she would take from him. The only difference was that the wrinkles were even more marked.

He took the perfumed letter and put it in his jacket pocket. When he took the knob he took a deep breath and found the value he needed for that night. He opened the door and faced the warm breezes of that night.

He stood for a moment, still, watching his surroundings carefully as a rabbit inspects before daring to leave his lair. The first thing he likes is that in his neighbor's house he did not listen to the usual argumenta when there was a party.

He put his hands in the pockets of his jacket and crossed the street slowly.

When he was in front of her garden, he walked to the side to get to the back garden that was divided by a wooden fence. As he approached, he was surprised by the presence of the music that was beginning to reach her ears.

He pushed the wooden door of the fence with one hand and froze when he saw the scene, it was easy there were gathered more than twenty people including the Snack Pack, chatting among them, dancing or even swimming in the pool that was in the middle of the garden.

Branch took a step back, embarrassed before so many people, confused, he took the letter out of his pocket and read it quickly, but until then he realized that in all the letter the only thing her creator had written was his name. The rest was printed.

He felt a pang in his stomach when he realized that the same letter had been delivered to everyone and that only the names of the recipient had been put on top. Poppy had never specifically thought of him.

Why would I do that? I've been dead to her for a long time.

He turned around to go home when he heard someone call him from behind.

-Branch!

He habitually took his cold and alert look that he always had when he turned to see her. He was surprised (though he did not show it) how much Poppy had changed. She had managed to grow easily about ten centimeters (or was five, to him it seemed ten) her shorts had replaced them with blue trousers that reached below the knees.

Her face full of freckles seemed to have taken on an air of maturity (although he did not trust much in that) and did not use any makeup, did not really need it, the most striking was her hair caught in an indomitable high ponytail stained a strong pink color.

He had never seen her with his hair dyed, but he had to admit that it looked good on her. Although she still wore the unforgettable wreath of pale blue flowers and green leaves made of felt that she had used since she could remember.

-I'm very glad you decided to come-the girl greeted him with joy.

-Just go out of curiosity while on my night walk-he lied, his voice muffled-I had heard the unpleasant rumor that you had come back.

\- You, Branch? Were you curious? That's very weird, you should see a doctor.

Branch rolled his eyes. Poppy let go and hug him tightly, he uncomfortably writhed in place trying to break free of the girl.

-No hugs Poppy!-He shouted in despair, the girl released him smiling still.

-Thank you Poppy for your warm welcome, but if you'll excuse me, I have to go back to my house.

-Ahh, no, that's not it- she took his hand firmly, Branch shuddered at the touch- it was quite a miracle the simple fact that you came to my garden, you will not leave so soon.

She pulled him hard to the back garden and closed the fence to make sure that Ramón did not run away as soon as he let go. She turned to see him with a playful smile. The opposite of how the young man felt at that moment.

-Happy?

-No- he answered rudely-What is the name of the crime in which you lock someone against their will?

-Kidnapping?

-Exactly,-he said sarcastically,-it seems to me that I am being a victim of that crime at this damn moment.

\- Stop being spoilsport and go to serve yourself some drink, I'll go there with the guys if you need me.

Poppy left, leaving Branch to his fate.

Shit, alone and in the middle of a party full of pure clowns.

He walked a few steps and leaned against the wall, his hands inside the pockets of his jacket. Near him was a table with white tablecloth, full of different snacks and drinks, he went over and took a glass with something that looked like soda.

He returned to his place slowly absorbing the liquid while he returned to recharge in its place. Branch observed the party quite disinterested, but with a lot of attention followed each one of Poppy's movements.

It was incredible the energy that that girl had at her twenty-two years, at one point she was talking to neighbors in one corner, the next she was jumping from chair to chair playing with Suki, now she was throwing balls trying to knock down some glass bottles against Copper

Branch felt each of his muscles tense when he saw Poppy running towards a boy with horrible yellow pants and planted a kiss on his face. Of course, he must have imagined that Creek would be at that party because he was the boyfriend of the young lady of honor.

He looked at the group that Poppy always came together with: the Snak Pack. The only difference that there was in them is that everyone had their hair dyed in different colors.

Bored he followed with the look each one of the movements of Poppy during what he believed three quarters of an hour, perhaps more, and easy more than ten glasses of soda ingested. He began to despair a little, all that time wasted and had only managed to talk to her for less than three minutes.

He pulled back from the wall, brushed the dust that had stuck to his back pockets and threw the glass into a trash basket nearby, went to the wooden fence and for some reason felt the look on her face pink haired girl.

-Branch!

He turned around and without removing a hand from the wooden fence and waited for her to come closer.

-What's going on?

\- Are you leaving so soon?

-I do not have anything to do here, I just came to see how you were and that's it.

-But you should keep what's left of the party.

-For what? Knowing you tomorrow at the same time I will hear that horrible September song of Earth, Wind and Fire blaring in the streets for a party that you will be doing.

-I'm not doing parties Branch, at least not soon in this place.

That seemed strange to the young man.

-Why not?

-It is a notice that I want to give to all of you right now, this week I will dedicate myself to prepare my things again to move.

-Where? - Branch asked knowing that the answer was not going to like him very much.

-To Bergen Town!-Shouted the excited girl-I got a job as a teacher in an art school for children and young people.

-What?! - Branch's cry was so horrible that everyone stopped what he was doing, some alarmed and others scared.

Branch took his face off in surprise at one of wrath and, taking Poppy by the wrist, forcefully pulled her out of the back garden into the main garden. His face reflected everything except joy.

-Bergen Town Poppy? Really? Bergen Town?

Poppy frowned, beginning to be alert.

\- Are you aware that the bertenos are not beings you can deal with? For God Poppy, they have been our enemies for generations. I thought you were smarter.

-Let me go!- She broke off sharply because Branch was beginning to hurt her wrist - of course I am aware that our towns were enemies for years, but that is over. My father managed to make a peace treaty that caused both towns to be at peace.

\- A damn sheet of paper is not enough for everyone changed there, they are still the same heartless monsters that mistreat the people of Villa Troll!

-That is not true Branch, they are human just like us but they need our help in some things, so accept that job, I can teach you that they too can be happy.

-Of course, you are going to teach them how to make cards of "life is full of cakes and rainbows" so that they change, they are a ball of bitter unhappiness.

-Well, I think you're too bitter, you know too much, do not you?

Branch tightened his lips furiously, she was also uneasy, they both heard that the wooden fence opened behind them.

-Poppy, is everything okay?- Creek asked uneasily.

-Of course it is well, intrusive -the young rude replied- it is just that she does not know how to choose the right decisions and decides to go to a town where they will immediately put the rope around her neck.

Creek frowned, annoyed.

\- Enough Branch! You are acting as if an apocalypse is coming at this moment, it is just a job.

-A job where you will be surrounded by enemies, in an enemy town, working with enemies! More stupid could not have been.

The words began to hurt the girl, who looked at him with clenched fists and furious eyes, her boyfriend approached when he realized the tension that was taking over Poppy and grabbed her shoulders.

\- Go fuck somewhere else, Branch! - the hippie shouted at the Grinch of the colony - Poppy is already a mature woman, capable of making her own decisions and knowing what is risky or not for her. A woman who does not need your stupid fits of anger to get ahead.

The presence of Poppy was the only thing that stopped Branc from throwing himself at Creek and leaving him prostrate on the floor, he tightened his fists and looked at Poppy straight in the eye.

\- You may have matured PHYSICALLY, but if we talk about mental maturity, YOU HAVE NOT CHANGED ANYTHING!

He turned around furiously and returned to his old house, leaving a pained Poppy on the street while Creek tried to comfort her.

* * *

 _Branch played entertaining in the backyard of his grandmother's house, in his house. With a box in his hand full of transparent plastic bags. He liked to go out to his grandmother Rossiefpuf's garden in the afternoons and search among all the medicinal plants, grass and earth for new leaves and / or branches that the wind would have pushed to the garden._

 _He was amused to take the leaves or branches that fell into the yard and spend hours comparing them with those he had already stored in his cardboard box. Now he was observing a leaf with three leaves that seemed to have a heart shape._

 _He hear someone knocking on the door of his house, he did not flinch, for him it had become a habit that at all hours he came with his grandmother to ask for some advice on medicine, medicinal plant or even to take care of the small children in the area occasionally._

 _So he continued quietly crawling through the grass looking for new leaves for his collection._

 _\- How are you, mayor Peppy? - He heard the voice of his grandmother-Of course if ... do not worry ... come here._

 _What could they be giving to their grandmother? He stood up and went to the patio door._

 _-Don't worry Mayor Peppy, you'll see how we'll have fun with Poppy._

 _Poppy? Who was Poppy? He did not remember any girl that had brought his grandmother with that name, it was surely someone new. He had never liked living with other children, when his grandmother had to take care of someone he usually locked hisself in his small room and stayed there until the day was over._

 _-Branch! Come here for a moment please._

 _Branch ran into the living room where his grandmother held a small bundle in his arms._

 _-Look Branch, she is Poppy, her father had an emergency meeting today in Bergen Town and we played a lot with her._

 _Fantastic! He thought sarcastically. He approached his grandmother and could see the little girl he was holding._

 _She was easy as three years old, had beautiful pink eyes and a short hair for her age of a chestnut color. She held in his arms a little troll of the 80's with pink hair and a red diamond in the navel._

 _The little girl seemed somewhat frightened when she was in the arms of that old woman who was unknown to her at that moment. But when she turned to see Branch, it seemed to diminish a great part of her shyness, perhaps because she saw him as someone with an age more similar to her own. She smiled a little shy and extended her arms to him._

 _Branch saw her a little distant, but her grandmother, moved by the attitude of the girl, gave the little girl in his arms to be carried for a while._

 _-I'm going to check the stove so that the beans do not get burned, I'll order it for a little while._

 _He looked dumbfounded at his grandmother as she left the room, his eyes turned back to the girl who was watching him curiously._

 _-Typically-he said-they tell someone to take care of someone small, but at the mere hour they pass the package to someone else._

 _Poppy gave a small laugh, Branch-to her surprise-smiled at her. Maybe it would be easy to deal with that little girl. He held her tightly and carried her into the backyard to show her his collection of leaves._

* * *

Branch woke up with a headache that did not seem normal, three days ago he had a routine check, but he felt so bad emotionally that he did not have the strength to go to the hospital for his appointment.

He put his hands to his face and sobbed weakly, remained for a moment reminding himself how little he was worth as a person. He sat up a little on his pillow and looked forward. On a wooden chair, he was greeted by a small troll with light blue skin and blue hair.

The small doll made of cloth had a green vest with decorations that looked like green leaves and a small brown pants with green and orange patches. He had a big, tender smile and open arms ready to hug his owner.

An invitation that Branch never accepted in the four years he had with him. That little doll had been the gift that Poppy had brought his the day she left for college and had argued moments before her departure, that Poppy could never teach his what had brought him exclusively for him.

Branch had discovered him the next morning, picking up the little clutter in the house, between the cushions of one of the sofas.

-I brought you something-he thought he heard again while there would be sadness the gift bag.  
He pulled out the little blue-skinned troll, made of soft fleece, created with arms literally open, his eyes filled with tears that morning, not by the little troll he was used to seeing every day for Poppy , but because around his neck, the doll had a chain with a small card with an inscription that said:

 _This little Troll is for you to give you the daily hug that I can not give you during the next four years and do not feel alone. When I come back I can give you that hug that I owe you and that you need so much. Poppy._

That night Ramón could not sleep in peace. Now every morning when he woke up, that fleece doll was the first thing he saw. Only that week did not cause feelings that he longed for. If not, now it reminded him that he had hurt the only friend he had left who was ever interested in him.

You shit on everything, he scolded himself.

He heard the sound of an engine, moved with one finger the sliding curtain of his window that was on the side of his bed. He saw Poppy putting a last suitcase in the trunk of a small car, saw her saying goodbye with a hug from her father and probably promising to come soon to visit him. He saw her look briefly at his own house, get into his car, start the engine and move down the street saying goodbye to his father through the car window.

Poppy had left, again. And this time to a place where there would be dangers wherever she went. Branch retired from thewindow, furious and defeated he fell back into the pillow and covered himself again with the blankets, that day would be one of getting up late.


End file.
